The present invention relates to systems and methods for carrying portable electronic devices and, more specifically, to carrying systems and methods that may be adjusted to accommodate electronic devices of different sizes.
The present invention has particular significance to carrying systems and methods for portable electronic equipment, and that application of the present invention will be discussed in detail herein. However, the present invention may have broader application to carrying systems for other types of equipment. The scope of the present invention should thus be determined by the claims appended hereto and not the following discussion of the background or the preferred embodiment for carrying out the present invention.
Electronic equipment is constantly being made smaller and more portable. Stereo equipment, computers, and, perhaps most importantly, communications equipment are all made in small, lightweight, energy efficient versions, powered by batteries, and carried with the user.
Various holsters, pouches, pockets, bags, and the like have been developed to carry portable electronic equipment. A major class of such carrying systems is holster or sheath tailored specifically for a given portable device. The holster is typically clipped onto or looped around the user""s belt or other article of clothing at a convenient location. The holster typically comprises a strap secured at one end to the holster and detachably attached at the other end to the holster such that the strap holds the equipment in place. In the case of communications equipment such as telephones, pagers, or two-way radios, the strap is detached to allow the equipment to be removed for viewing and/or answering.
Tailored carrying systems are often acceptable but may not be appropriate in many situations. For example, a uniform may preclude the use of a unique, tailored carrying system. As another example, an activity such as fire fighting, search and rescue, or the like may not be compatible with conventional tailored holsters that are clipped or looped around a user""s belt or waist band.
As new portable electronic equipment is introduced, the new equipment is generally smaller and lighter than earlier versions; a tailored carrying system made for one type of equipment may not securely hold another type of equipment.
Conventional tailored carrying systems are also difficult to integrate with larger carrying systems. For example, a chest harness may be designed with an integral pocket for carrying communications equipment. This pocket must be large enough for the largest equipment that can be available and thus may be too large for the smallest equipment available. The entire chest harness may need to be replaced at significant expense as the communications equipment is changed.
In addition, in some situations the communications equipment carried by the user may change depending upon the circumstances. For example, a user may carry a portable telephone in a city environment but switch to a two-way radio in environments without reliable cellular service. The user may need to purchase and carry two different tailored carrying devices, and may have problems with more comprehensive carrying systems sized to carry only one size of communications equipment.
Some equipment pockets have been made to accommodate thinner or narrower equipment by providing straps that, in essence, allow the side panels to be shortened or collapsed.
A number of attempts have been made to provide height adjustment. In one system, a series of loops are sewn to the back wall extending in the height direction. A cord is threaded through one of the loops and then tied to a length appropriate to contain the device in the pocket. A snap fastener is formed on the end of the cord away from the back wall to attach the cord to the pocket front wall over the pocket opening. In another system, a cord is sewn at its upper end to the pocket rear wall. The end of the cord away from the fixed end is attached using velcro that allows a only very limited amount of adjustability of the pocket height. Yet another system using a strap that extends is passed through a sandwich of velcro such that ends of the strap extend around a side of the device in the pocket. The sandwich of velcro holds the strap in the desired place. The strap can be moved up and down relative to the pocket chamber but does not cover the top of the chamber.
Accordingly, the need exists for systems and methods for carrying equipment, such as portable electronics equipment, that may be altered in size to accommodate equipment of different sizes, shapes, and weights. In addition, the need exists for such systems and methods that can be manufactured of conventional materials using conventional manufacturing equipment. Also, such systems and methods should be appropriate for use as a stand-alone carrying system or for integration into a larger carrying system.
The present invention is, in one preferred form, an adjustable pocket comprising a pocket chamber and a strap assembly comprising a strap member, a first fastener, and a second fastener. The pocket chamber is adapted to contain equipment such as portable communications devices. The pocket chamber is defined by a front wall, a rear wall having at least one hole formed therein, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall. The strap member has first and second ends. The first fastener fastens the strap member first end to the front wall. The second fastener fastens the strap member second end to the rear wall. The strap member extends through the hole in the rear wall such that the second fastener fastens the strap member second end to an outer surface of the rear wall. The second fastener is preferably a hook and loop fastener that allows infinite fine adjustment of the form factor defined by the adjustable pocket. A plurality of holes are preferably formed in the rear wall to allow discrete gross adjustment of the form factor defined by the adjustable pocket.
In another form, the present invention is a method of forming an adjustable pocket. The preferred method comprising the steps of providing a front wall, a rear wall having at least one hole formed therein, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall; arranging the front wall, rear wall, bottom wall, first side wall, and second side wall to define a pocket chamber; providing a strap assembly comprising a strap member having first and second ends, a first fastener, and a second fastener; extending the strap member through the at least one hole in the rear wall such that the second fastener fastens the strap member second end to an outer surface of the rear wall to define a first form factor; and operating the first fastener to fasten the strap member first end to the front wall.
The present invention in various forms obtains at least some of the objects of the invention described above.